9/2/2005 Besthesda, MD Jeffrey Schlom Blood, 15 September 2005, Vol. 106, No. 6, pp. 1897-1898 An innovative approach to the use of cancer vaccines targets the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (FLK-1), suppresses tumor-associated angiogenesis, and results in antitumor activity. In a highly innovative approach to the suppression of tumor growth, Zhou and colleagues (a) have developed an anticancer vaccine that targets the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGF-R2, FLK-1), an important molecule expressed on tumor-associated endothelial cells.(1) Angiogenesis is a rate-limiting step in the development of tumors of any appreciable size.(2) Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor tyrosine kinases have been shown to play important roles in angiogenesis. VEGF-R2, also known as FLK-1, demonstrates expression restricted to endothelial cells and is up-regulated once these cells proliferate during angiogenesis in the tumor vasculature. Numerous approaches by many groups have been used to block FLK-1, including the use of monoclonal antibodies against VEGF and the use of synthetic receptor kinase inhibitors. In this issue of Blood, Zhou and colleagues demonstrate the broad depth to which vaccines can be used to attack tumors. Previous studies by this group have demonstrated that vaccines containing the entire FLK1 gene can suppress tumor growth.(3) In the study reported here, however, they used an oral DNA minigene vaccine, using a Salmonella-based vector containing only a single cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope of FLK-1. The oral carrier system, consisting of a double attenuated strain of Salmonella typhimurium, delivers the DNA to secondary lymphoid organs for [...]

9/1/2005 London, England C Scully, L Newman, and JV Bagan Dent Update, July 1, 2005; 32(6): 326-8, 331-2, 335-7 Oral cancer is among the ten most common cancers world-wide, and is especially seen in disadvantaged elderly males. Members of the dental profession have a duty to detect both potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions. Early detection and prompt treatment offer the best hope to the patient with oral cancer, providing the best chance of a cure. As patient awareness regarding the danger of oral cancer increases, the demand for oral cancer 'screening' is also expected to increase significantly. The signs and symptoms of cancer often resemble less serious conditions more commonly found in the mouth and similarly presenting as a lump, red or white patch or ulcer. If any such lesion does not heal normally within 3 weeks, a malignancy or some other serious disorder must be excluded. A biopsy is indicated. Prompt referral to an appropriate specialist usually allows for the best management but, if this is not feasible, the dental practitioner should take the biopsy which should be sent to a specialist oral pathologist for histological evaluation. Clinical Relevance: Early detection and prompt treatment offer the best hope to the patient with oral cancer, providing the best chance of a cure. As patient awareness regarding the danger of oral cancer increases, the demand for oral cancer'screening' is expected to increase significantly as well. Authors affiliation: Eastman Dental Institute for Oral Health Care Sciences, 256 Gray's Inn Road, University [...]

9/1/2005 Linda Geddes NewScientist.com Men carrying a genetic mutation that significantly increases the risk of breast cancer in women are at a greater risk of prostate and pancreatic cancers than men without the mutation. Dutch researchers have confirmed that men carrying a mutated BRCA2 gene are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer and six times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those free of the mutation. The altered gene may also put them at increased risk of developing bone and throat cancer. A previous study suggested that carriers of mutant BRCA2 genes are at increased risk of cancer of the prostate, pancreas, gallbladder, bile duct and stomach, as well as malignant melanoma, breast cancer and ovarian cancers (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, vol 91 p 1310). But this study only looked at known mutated-BRCA2 carriers with a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Christi van Asperen and her colleagues at the Centre for Human and Clinical Genetics at Leiden University in The Netherlands speculated that estimates of cancer risk at other sites in the body may differ in mutated-BRCA2 carriers with less striking , though still present, family histories of cancer. Retrospective incidence They investigated 139 families with 66 different mutations of the BRCA2 mutation between them. Using information from known mutated-BRCA2 carriers in these families, the researchers studied the retrospective incidence of cancers among both male and female family members with a 50% chance of being a carrier – amounting to 1811 people. Among [...]

9/1/2005 New York, NY staff www.cancerpage.com The plasma level of osteopontin, a marker for tissue hypoxia, can predict whether the radiosensitizing agent nimorazole will be useful in patients with head and neck cancer, new research indicates. Adequate tissue oxygen levels are needed for radiotherapy to be most effective. Nimorazole works by modifying hypoxic environments, making the tissues more sensitive to radiotherapy. "Our study suggests that high plasma concentrations of osteopontin predict the need for hypoxia modification" with an agent like nimorazole, lead author Dr. Jens Overgaard and colleagues, from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, note. Still, further studies are needed to determine the exact plasma levels that are important. The present findings, which appear in the August 30th online issue of The Lancet Oncology, are based on a study of 320 patients enrolled in the Danish Head and Neck Cancer Study Group (DAHANCA) 5 trial, which compared the effects of radiotherapy combined with nimorazole or placebo. Stored samples from the subjects were analyzed to determine osteopontin levels, which were then correlated with outcomes. Patients treated with nimorazole had about half the risk of locoregional tumor failure and disease-specific mortality compared with control subjects. On further analysis, the benefits of nimorazole therapy on locoregional tumor failure and disease-specific mortality were confined to subjects with high osteopontin levels. By contrast, among patients with low or intermediate osteopontin levels, treatment with nimorazole seemed to offer no benefit over placebo. "We have shown that high plasma concentrations of osteopontin in patients with squamous-cell carcinoma [...]

9/1/2005 Sellersville, PA press release biz.yahoo.com Scandinavian Formulas, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued over-the-counter (OTC) drug status for its product SalivaSure®, a saliva- stimulating lozenge for relief of dry mouth. Dry mouth (xerostomia), which can be extremely debilitating, can be caused by many factors including physiologic, radiation therapy (of the head and neck), and the adverse effects of prescription and OTC drugs, such as antihistamines, antidepressants, anxiolytics, diuretics, and decongestants, to name a few. Saliva -- a vital part of oral health -- provides enzymes to help with the digestion of food and produces a constant flushing of the oral cavity, which keeps the mouth relatively clean and helps to protect it against infection. When the mouth lacks saliva, not only does it produce an unpleasant feeling, but it also causes bacteria to breed, resulting in tooth decay and bad breath. In addition, consuming food and liquids becomes increasingly difficult and the sense of taste is altered. SalivaSure® works by the unique fruit acid formulation that stimulates the taste buds and activates the production of saliva. A combination of sodium citrate and calcium phosphate acts as a buffer to protect the tooth enamel. In addition, the sweetener xylitol is known to reduce plaque formation and help minimize the development of dental caries, which protect tooth enamel for long-term use. What's more, SalivaSure® does not interact with prescription medications and is safe for people with diabetes. The lozenge brings instant relief on contact. [...]

9/1/2005 Philadelphia, PA staff EurekAlert (www.eurekalert.org) A team of Canadian scientists may have discovered a way to use a simple dye as a litmus test to identify abnormal areas of the mouth that may become cancers. According to a study published in the September 1 issue of "Cancer Research", the scientists found that lesions that took up the dye known as toluidine blue were six times more likely to become oral cancers. The team also discovered that the dye-staining lesions contained molecular alterations that are linked to high risk of oral cancers -- even at early stages. "In oral cavity lesions, tissue that stained positive with toluidine blue were more likely to advance to cancer than lesions that did not stain with the dye," said Miriam Rosin, Ph.D., Director of the BC Cancer Agency's British Columbia Oral Cancer Prevention Program and Professor, Simon Fraser University. Rosin is the senior author on the study, funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, of the National Institutes of Health. Toluidine blue is an accepted indicator of oral cancers, Rosin said. The current studies, however, demonstrate that the dye accurately predicts which pre-malignant lesions are likely to advance toward disease. Those lesions appear as white or, less frequently, red patches. "The vast majority of those white patches are often from minor inflammation and irritation," Rosin said. Some, however, are inclined to become cancer--and are the ones targeted by this simple imaging technology. In the study of 100 patients, Rosin and her [...]

9/1/2005 South Carolina SG Reed et al. J Cancer Educ, September 1, 2005; 20(3): 136-42 Background: Compared to the U.S. states and District of Columbia, the adult population in South Carolina ranks in the high five in oral cavity and pharynx cancer mortality rate and top ten for incidence rate. Previous studies revealed a lack of knowledge related to the diagnosis of oral cancer among health professionals in the USA. This study assessed the oral cancer knowledge and experience of medical students in an academic setting. Methods: This IRB approved cross-sectional survey used a self-administered pilot-tested questionnaire and the census of the Medical University of South Carolina medical students. Data were summarized by frequencies and chi-square comparisons of pre-clinical (first and second year) and clinical (third and fourth year) students. Results: The overall response rate was 79% (450/571 students), range 61-91% by year. Significant (p < 0.001) differences were found between pre-clinical and clinical students for knowledge of risk factors, signs and symptoms of oral cancer, and tobacco cessation techniques; with clinical students more knowledgeable but at less than 78% accuracy. All students were in high agreement of the role and responsibility of physicians in tobacco cessation, and in medical history taking. Four students had seen or been instructed on how to perform an oral biopsy. Most (75%) of fourth year students felt adequately trained to palpate neck lymph nodes. However, less than 7% of all students perceived they were adequately trained to examine patients for oral cancers. Conclusions: Results [...]

9/1/2005 G Bigras and F de Marval British Journal of Cancer (2005) 93, 575-581 The probability for a Pap test to be abnormal is directly proportional to HPV viral load: results from a Swiss study comparing HPV testing and liquid-based cytology to detect cervical cancer precursors in 13 842 women. In a study involving 13,842 women and 113 gynaecologists, liquid-based cytology and HPV testing for detecting cervical cancer were compared. A total of 1334 women were found to be positive for one or both tests and were invited for colposcopy with biopsy. A total of 1031 satisfactory biopsies on 1031 women were thereafter collected using a systematic biopsy protocol, which was random in the colposcopically normal-appearing cervix or directed in the abnormal one. In all, 502 women with negative tests were also biopsied. A total of 82 histologic high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) were reported in biopsies, all from the group with one or both tests positive. Sensitivity and specificity to detect histologic HSIL were 59 and 97% for cytology, and 97 and 92% for HPV. In total, 14% of reviewed negative cytological preparations associated with histologic HSIL contained no morphologically abnormal cells despite a positive HPV test. This suggested a theoretical limit for cytology sensitivity. HPV viral load analysis of the 1143 HPV-positive samples showed a direct relationship between abnormal Pap test frequency and HPV viral load. Thus, not only does the HPV testing have a greater sensitivity than cytology but the probability of the latter being positive can [...]

8/30/2005 Downers Grove, IL press release U.S. Newswire (releases.usnewswire.com) Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital's Cancer Care Center is offering the only Tomotherapy Unit in the Chicago/Metropolitan Area. This cutting edge technology is the most precise radiation therapy available for cancer patients and is currently available at only one other site in Northern Illinois (Zion, Ill.) Tomotherapy is a way to create precision with radiation by combining imaging for patient positioning with advanced intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). What does this mean to each patient? More accurate treatment, fewer side effects and decreased time commitments for patients. "Tomotherapy marries a CT (computerized tomography) scan with a radiation treatment machine, advancing accuracy of treatment", explains Michael Stutz, M.D. "Because we are imaging the tumor prior to each radiation treatment, we can ensure that our treatments are on target every day." William Hartsell, M.D. explains: "Tomotherapy is ideal to treat tumors that are next to important normal structures that should be spared from the radiation--such as treating prostate cancer to spare the rectum and bladder; head and neck cancer to spare the salivary glands; and brain cancer to spare as much normal brain as possible." The media is invited to a press conference on September 6, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. William Hartsell, M.D., Michael Stutz, M.D., Director of the Cancer Care Center, Paula Timmerman, a radiology technician and possibly a patient about to undergo treatment will be available for questions and comments. Media will also be able to view the new equipment.